HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Yoke Payments said it has teamed up with the Randolph Sheppard Vendors of Wisconsin to enable visually impaired individuals operate their own micromarkets. Yoke’s system not only makes the checkout process more manageable by eliminating the need for cash handling, but the technology caters to those who have vision impairment.

Yoke’s software, launched in 2014, provides a mobile and cashless point-of-sale system, business management tools including real-time inventory management and integration with various third-party applications. It combines the mobile wallet and cash register to create a simplified payment solution for vending and micromarket operators and their customers. The self-checkout point-of-sale system uses a tablet or mobile device and allows users to quickly grab their desired items.

Utilizing Apple iPads and their built-in technology, many features further enhance the ease of use for blind operators and customers alike. For example, voiceovers are enabled on these devices and controlled through gestures and image-recognition software. Apple products also include display accommodations that let users zoom in on information, adjust font size and invert colors.

Randolph Sheppard Vendors of Wisconsin (RSVW) is a nonprofit dedicated to providing blind vendors with the resources and guidance they need to gain employment through the Randolph-Sheppard Act, a federal law mandating priority to blind people in operating vending machines and, increasingly, micromarkets in federal facilities.

“We look at all candidates as a person who has the potential as an entrepreneur,” said RSVW executive director Kent Walser. “We want to train them on how to actively manage their own business and succeed in this industry.” Yoke is a new tool to accomplish this goal, he summed up.